2009 Christmas card

This year's Christmas card was inspired by a little rainbow shirt that Laura wore when she was 2 years old. This summer, when Laura and Nigel were visiting we dug through a box of old clothes and found the little shirt. He loved it and wore it the entire time he was here.

May your days be merry and joyfully colored, and your new year filled with rainbows of hope,

New Orleans Alley

We are headed once again in November to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry annual meeting. This year the venue is in New Orleans, and I have done a painting for the AAID Research Foundation auction. Last year my painting raised $1500, and I hope this one does as well this year. "New Orleans Alley" is 24" X 36" watercolor on canvass.

walking with Papa.

We visited Laura, John and Nigel in Toronto in July and had a blast at the Toronto Zoo and a neighborhood park. This month, Laura and Nigel came for a 10 day visit. We got to play together every day, and by then Nigel was taking several steps and trying to run.

This is a painting of me walking with him just as he is walking with help; not yet putting 2 steps together on his own. He is holding my finger and walking where ever I go. It was such a special experience that I had to share it through this 24"x36" watercolor on canvass. I have found it to resonate with anyone who has grandchildren. We have big smiles on our faces.

Zambia

Zambia is the hotbed of AIDS in Africa. Almost 4 out of 5 children born there have aids or will contract it from a close relative.

These images come from photos taken by a medical mission team this summer to the Mapepi area in Zambia and beg the question, "What now?"

Esther Rush 2009

Esther is a good friend who is a wonderful example of Jesus' ministry; Luke 4:18. She is offering a cup of cool water to quench the suffering of people who have made poor choices.

2 paintings of good friends

John Hite's daughter, Lori, passed away peacefully in her sleep last week.  I was honored to lead the music for her memorial service.  John and Suzie are very special friends, and one of my reactions to their loss, and our desire for healing is to do a painting of John with his usual very thoughtful and serene expression.

Mike Sasseen has been a very special friend and mentor to our son Joe, for 15+ years.  His journey includes recovery from many addictions, as well as PTSD from Viet Nam experiences.  He relates to all kinds of people who suffer from brokenness, and easily shares his love for and dependence on Jesus Christ.  Right now he is leading a recovery network and promoting his new book.

Gary Gibson

This is a 14x18 painting of my friend, Gary Gibson.  We decided to trade paintings of each other.  He's doing a charcoal; I am giving him a watercolor.

He has just completed a year term as president of the Memphis-Germantown Art League.

Good job, Gary!

Dangerous Prayers

We have been challenged to pray dangerous prayers.  I did this painting in 2005 titled "Dangerous Prayers" as a reaction to the authentic faith tensions.

What is your reaction?

Delta Pecans 1954

This old white 2 story house represents where Tammie's mom and dad started their family.  He was a cotton farmer and she graduated from Jr. College.  Tammie, Diana, Bill and Rob came along, filling the house with laughter, love, and living well.  One of their favorite things to do was to pick up pecans in the fall of the year.  Pecans are very plentiful in the Mississippi Delta community of Indianola, and it is common to see small family pecan sale stands popping up as the trees shed their abundant nuts.

Lee Brown

Lee Brown has had a rough life with over 20 years being homeless in Memphis.  Tammie's blog has more about Lee.  He came over for dinner Tuesday night to share our Christmas meal with Tammie's family.  I have had a painting of Lee on my mind for sometime, but only today did I come up with the expression I have been looking for.

Catch of the Day

The Brown Trout spawning run on the Little Red River in Arkansas is Legendary!  For 15 years it was the place to be for large trout in October.  Sadly, the redds have been trampled by eager fishermen such that the trout do not return as they once did.  This painting of John Candy and Ronnie Parker holding their treasure from the river is a memory of what once was.

Justin & Erin

Justin Lewis has been Keith Fussell's counseling intern this year.  He recently asked me to do a painting of him and his wife, Erin to surprise her for a Christmas gift.  I had a wonderful time painting her great smile.  No wonder he is smiling too.  I hope you enjoy the visual as much as I have.

Lost Marvels

The Harding University Leadership and many other friends and family are gathering November 15th in Huntsville, Alabama to honor my dad. They are presenting him with the "Lifetime Achievement Award," and we are so excited. It is a surprise, so don't tell him.
I have put together a slide show (Quick Time Movie) as well as this painting for the event to help celebrate his life will lived, his laughter and his love. Mom came across the following thought that gives me pause:

Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless
among miracles.
Lord, fill our eyes with seeing and our minds with knowing.
Let there be moments when your Presence, like lightning,
illumines the darkness in which we walk.
Help us to see, wherever we gaze, that the bush burns,
unconsumed.
And we, clay touched by God, will reach out for holiness,
and exclaim in wonder,
"How filled with awe is this place and we did not know it.

2008 Christmas Card image

I love playing with text and art and this year's Christmas card is an opportunity that is too good to pass up. We are celebrating little Nigel this year and I wanted to do something special that contrast mature strength and an infant's dependence. You may recognize Psalm 139; it is my favorite. Expect your card in the mail after Thanksgiving.

Back to Toronto

I am going to Toronto to get the Lance in the morning. This painting is a quick reaction to the beauty of Toronto's skyline as it merges with Lake Ontario and the endless possibilities for play.
It is a watercolor on canvass. I Hope Laura and John like it.

Back in Toronto

We are back in Toronto again this month for....you guessed it...We just had to get to see that Nigel again. I just happened to have a dental implant meeting too. The AAID Central District had a wonderful meeting! Our trip to Toronto was uneventful and the plane was flawless.

Huricane IKE was making the winds in Southern Canada and across the midwest 50+knots at the surface today. Our plane failed the mag check before departure this morning, so I parked it for repairs at Toronto City Centre Airport and Tammie and I came home on Delta.
We experienced many flight delays, and sat in the Cincinnati airport all day and evening because it closed just after our arrival due to the high winds. There was no sign of aircraft movement for over 8 hours.
Providence has a way of working things out. I am so thankful that we didn't fly the lance in these winds.

Little Nige is so cute!

Just one look

Think about how tempting it would be to take a peek at who is chasing your heels. If you look over and break your focus you risk loosing the race. Just before crossing the finish line take "Just one Look."

I am having fun playing with bright colors that show up really well on Bristol 4 Ply board.
I hope you like the painting, "Just one Look."

AAID Research Foundation Painting

Compare this painting to the one of the same subject that I did several years ago; also published on this blog.

One of my good friends, Dr. Larry Bush, who is also the Secretary of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, has asked me to do a painting to be auctioned off at the AAID Annual Meeting in San Diego in October. We talked about the subject and settled on this light house painting. He was inspired to select this subject based on his families travels in Maine as well as his affection for the rugged Maine coast line and the deep maritime history there. So, I have completed the painting today, and will have it framed and shipped to the Grand Hyatt Resort Hotel in San Diego for the auction. I hope it creates some interest and raises some funds for the AAID Research Foundation. It is an honor for me to participate at this level.

Beachbrella2

I wanted to experiment with brighter colors and a different color variety. When doing figures it is more powerful to connect them rather than make them not touch each other. Compare this painting to one I did of the same subject last year. Definitely not boring, and will be worth another shot in the next week or so. Fun!

Pulling Away

I finally had the time and creative energy at the same time today. Painting on 4-Ply Bristol is challenging, but the resulting vibrant colors are worth it. The dark horse is "Pulling Away" to win the race.

International Flying

Landing on the City Island Airport in Toronto was a rush! The FBO was very friendly and we cleared customs with a short phone call. Coming back into the US was not as easy, but the customs agent kept her gun in her holster.

John, Laura and Nigel Hacker-Wright make a sweet family. Laura is a good mommy. She is also looking forward to beginning her PhD in French work in the fall. John will be a full time daddy with a paid leave from U of Guelph, ON for a year. YEA!!
We had a great visit. See Tammie's blog for more Nigel pics.

Storm Chasers

We were living large as we drove to Tulsa, Oklahoma today and passed about a mile from this tornado. We hunkered down beneath an overpass, and I jumped out to photograph the storm just as it had passed overhead.
If fishermen are athletes, we must be storm chasers.

I'm In

I received notice today that I got into the Tennessee Watercolor Society exhibition. Cheng Khee Chee was the juror and noted that he followed his usual National Exhibition practice of selecting only one painting per artist. There were 233 paintings submitted and 50 chosen. "Let 'em Run," was my painting chosen. It will hang in Knoxville during June-July then travel to Cookeville for the month of August.

Psalms Recording

The art was originally a painting that I had discarded. I wrote words from the Psalms over the painting in maskoid, then sprayed different colors. When dry, I picked up the maskoid to reveal the words and phrases. After that, I tore out the images, words and phrases using different "tear" strokes to give a variety of edges. I laid down mat board in the shape of a cross and placed the torn pieces around it. Then I picked up the mat board revealing the wooden surface of the table and the rugged cross shape. I hope you like it.

This is art work for a CD cover. We are taking the music to the Pepperdine Lectures at the end of April. The exciting thing is that Lynn Anderson will be there with us to lead worship from the Psalms.

Ski Purgatory, Colorado

Joe and I took Cathy and Noah skiing last week in the South West Colorado Mountains. The weather was great for Spring Skiing. It was a pleasure to see Noah and Cathy improve so much and have a great time, as shown by Noah's big smile.

Powder skiing

Bob took this picture of his son Aaron skiing by him in the powder. We had the deepest and steepest snow at Whistler this year that I can remember. We will be telling stories about it for years to come!

Mongolian Stir Fry Grill

The coolest place to eat---The Mongolian Stir Fry Grill. Lots of great fresh food, and a fun atmosphere for lively conversations.

Whistler at night

We walked to eat at the MONGOLIAN STIR FRY GRILL last night. It was cold and snowing, but the lights were beautiful illuminated in the streets and reflecting off of the white snow. That is Amy Etheridge in the violet jacket, and John and I are walking on the right.

Ski Whistler, BC, Canada

My friends, John French, Bob and Aaron Etheridge and I are skiing Whistler/Blackcomb British Colombia this week. The snow is the best we have ever had here, and it is cold! This morning it was -10C, but warmed up to a blistering -4C this afternoon. I'm thankful for sunscreen.

Watercolor painting demonstration

The watercolor painting class I am teaching has met twice. I demonstrated this painting last Thursday as an example of positive and negative painting, as well as the layering techniques used most often in w/c painting. Hopefully, next week I can photograph some of the student's finished paintings.

Steamboat, Colorado Christmas

Tammie, Joe and I met Laura and John in Steamboat for Christmas this year. We decided not to buy any gifts, but to let our gift to each other be the trip and just being together. Joe and I got to ski some wonderful powder, Tammie exercised on the couch with a good book and hot tea while we skied. We had some time to visit with Laura and John, eat at some wonderful restaurants, and shop on Lincoln street. Laura made a wonderful Lasagna for us for Christmas eve dinner.

St. Jude 13.1

Back in July my Sister, Cathy, challenged me to run with her in the St. Jude half marathon on December 1. The day finally came and we ran the race together. We had a great time running the event, and did really well. We finished together with a time of 1:50. Yes, that's one hour and 50 minutes for 13.1 miles. I was 35/150 for my age group.

Winter Park Ride

This is the third painting I will use for the workshop I am doing in January. This is a simple example of direct-indirect painting with lots of stragegic lost and hard edges. It's a typical rainy winter scene in down town Memphis. The winter carriage ride is filled with mystery.

Tuscany

I am beginning a series of paintings to use in a watercolor workshop I have been asked to do in January. There will be students at all painting levels, so I'll be keeping the subjects rather simple. I'll also do snapshots of the paintings in progress. This is a view of the Tuscan hillside with a ripening vineyard in the foreground. Size: 10" x 30". Enjoy!

Blessed are the feet who bring good news

I have been looking for the right feet to use in a painting for a long time. Melody Green sent a snapshot of her son, Andrew, on the beach, with his blue jeans and little feet in the sand. It made me think of Isaiah 52:7-"How Beautiful on the Mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, Your God Reigns."

Ponte Vecchio

We have finally slowed down long enough to get some paintng done. I have had this image of the famous bridge, Ponte Vecchio, in Florence, Italy on my mind since we were there 2 years ago. This is watercolor on canvass, like the San Gimiangiano with sunflowers paintng.

Tampa Trip

Tammie and I went to the DALI museum while in the Tampa/St. Pete area. This museum is devoted entirely to the preservation of Salvador Dali's art work. I learned sooo much about the man and what he was trying to say, about his values, and how hard he worked on each painting. This is an absolute must see for the artist inside each of us!
Tammie is the "anthromorphic drama chick emerging from the forest."

LA Trip

Tammmie and I are in LA this week and couldn't resist the temptation to the Disney experience. The experience was as expected with the bar set high on Quality. We had wonderful seafood and Banana's Foster at the Rainforest Cafe where there is a 2 month waiting list for seating after 7:00pm dining.
Our bag followed us to LA by 12 hours so our first item was finding fresh underwear. Fortunately the Cerritos Walmart was within walking distance. yea.


Millennium Dental has an arrangement with the Sheraton Cerritos, and they really pay close attention to our needs. Cerritos reminds me of how Bartlett is a city swallowed up by urban sprawl and is trying to maintain it's identity with strict commercial design codes.



Can you believe that Allen and Sarah Gillespie were at the Sheraton Cerritos Saturday night? We had a great visit with them and enjoyed talking about their future plans in California. Allen is excited about his work with Pepperdine University and how he can help more people participate in the University's mission. I can't believe they have been married for 6 years.

"Let 'em Run"

This is another painting in the "equine" series. I used the same colors as "Photo Finish" and "Beachbrella" and I really like what is happening....hope you do too. Image size: 22"x30" watercolor on 140# Kilomanjaro paper.

"Beachbrella"

OK, It's just another try at the elusive "POP" that I am looking for, and fun to take another look at the same reaction. Which one do you like better?

We returned home on Thursday afternoon and I immediately went to work on a painting of the Seagrove beach. The story is about a lady who has sent her husband to play in the surf with their small child and she finally has the serenity she is looking for under the shade of the "beachbrella." She has pleanty of books and drinks in her large bag. Her husband and child have left their shoes and toys for fun in the water. I hope you like this one.

Branson, Missouri has changed radically since we were here 5-6 years ago. This is a photo of the new Branson Landing area anchored by Bass Pro on one end and a major department store on the other. A trolley runs every 15 minutes up and down the length of cobble stone pedesterian way. New condomeniums shaddow the eastern end and provide an elevated view of Lake Taney Como and the city of Branson. My favorite shop was the Marble Slab Creamery where the 20 minute wait in line for sweet cream and strawberrys was worth it.
So what is the difference between Branson and Las Vegas? Someone said that you don't have to explain anything to your children in Branson.

SIX has to be one of the best shows in Branson. All six men are brothers who preform a 2 hour acapella show. They are SO TIGHT!!! It is probably the only show I would go back to see several times and enjoy it more and more time after time. Many of us who have recorded acapella music understand the challenges, and these men are wonderful. There is something powerful that happens when a group of men sing, and the crowd was going NUTS tonight. We had front row seats and had the opportunity to meet and speak at length with each of the men. It was amazing!

Tammie shows us in this photo that the beach girls are really posing for calendar spots during their week at Gulf Shores. It's good to see the practical side of a beach vacation.

So, with Tammie vacationing on the Alabama Gulf coast with friends, Vivian and Beckie, I have time to paint. Oh, it's a tough life, but someone has to do these things.

I saw this little red shedd on Mackanac Island last summer. I thought the long shaddows of early morning brought serenity to the quiet scene. The open door gave me pause as to what mysterious items were hidden inside. The little redbird doesn't care. He is enjoying the last few drops of water in the birdbath that have been protected from the heat of the day by "Mackanac Shaddows."

Here is a chance for you to see a small study and the finished painting side by side. Which do you like best? This painting is 22""x30" on 140# Kilimanjaro.
It's a "Photo finish."

Sunday afternoon I finally had time to experiment with my "horserace" concept on paper. This is a little 11x15 inch study using several new colors I wanted to try out. I was really pleased with the luminosity of the reds and greens. The manganise blue and green were exciting and make the reds show up even stronger. Fun with color! I will have the 22x30 painting done in a couple of days.

My sister, Cathy, considers herself a sailor and navigator. I have bragging rights to never tumping a canoe on the Spring River in Arkansas. None of that talk worked at the beach this week when we braved the surf in a sea kayak. Oh-Oh!

I drove over to the Little Red River in Arkansas yesterday to fish. Finally had a moment to get away and notice that I drove there, I didn't fly. At least I drove. The fish averaged 13" with this 14"er. A total of a dozen like this one were caught and released with in a 2 hour period of time. The water was like melting ice in your hand it was sooooo cold. Fun!

Tammie and I went to St. Louis a couple of weeks ago to speak with the Dr. about returning my driving privaledges. I think she slipped him a $100 bill because he was so nice about letting me drive again. Or it could have been that she said some one would be having a funeral if I remained riding with her in the right seat. I'm really bad with giving parking instructions, etc.

Yesterday i recieved the letter that I have been waiting for acknowledging that I passed the American Board of Implantology/Implant Dentistry Diplomat credentialing process. What a relief. When I get the diploma, I'll be able to use it and $2 to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

I have been planting flowers all week. The Dr has given me orders not to drive or fly since the Bizzare experience on our return flight from Chicago last Sunday afternoon. I feel punished in a way by not being able to drive or fly, but I do need to rest. Tammie has been the "Resting Nazi." She has even called home while away to make sure I have behaved myself.
I am so grateful for all the concern, and prayers that have made all the difference. More information is available on Tammie's blog: www.tammieh.blogspot.com.

The Memphis-Germantown Art League gave me the Spectrum Award this year at our annual Spring Exhibition Dinner. It is a recognition given for making a difference. It is so nice to have people say nice things, but lots of people worked together the past 2 years to make the art league run so smoothly. We have had lots of laughs, and celebrated lots of wonderful art. FUN!!

The Wolf Creek ski trip was a great experience for first time skiers, Cathy and Noah. The flight back was uneventful with the exception of 220mph ground speeds, a good mexican lunch in Ponca City and a flight time of 4.5 hours. What a great lifestyle!

Joe and I are skiing in the San Juan mountains of Colorado this week. My sister Cathy and her 7 year old son, Noah, are learning to ski. This is a photo of Joe putting his snow board on from the top of the "Treasure" ski lift at Wolf Creek. It was a bright sunny day on the mountain with pleanty of snow and a high temperature of 41F. HOT!

The Memphis-Germantown Art League had our jurering for the Spring Exhibition today at the Memphis College of Art. Sammy Britt, a very accomplished artist from Cleveland, Mississippi was the juror, and we were very honored to have him do it. There were 87 paintings submitted by our members and 43 paintings were juried into the Exhibition. Several members got 2 paintings into the show, and I was the only member to have 3 paintings accepted. WOW! that is really exciting. They were: "Playful Wisdom," "Mustangs," and "In the Powder Room." What an honor!
The Exhibition will hang March 19th through April 10th at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre. Y'all come!

I have a new website on the Artspan server. The url is artisttim.com. It has most of my art work on it.

Remember the warm morning light in Tuscany? San Gimignano is one of my favorite hill towns near Florence, Italy, and the sunflowers make it dazzle from a distance. I am ready at once to return for that cup of capuccino by the well at the city centre.

This asian vendor was busy selling produce at the Kansas City, Mo. market when we were there on a visit last fall. I loved how the light came through her straw hat and danced playfully down her eyes and cheeks. We had a good time with Laura that day, and I'm glad she took us to see the, "Market Lady."

This has been a busy ski season for Joe and me. We went to Steamboat for 5 days of skiing, and one with Steamboat Powdercats in the back country of Buffalo Pass in December. I'm talkin' real powder skiing with avalanche gear. The Powdercat guides provided lots of encouragement and great food. We depended on the Lord for the great scenery and deep powder. Last week I skied 5 days with John French and Bob Etheridge at Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We attacked the mountain's 30 and 40 degree double black diamonds with attitude equal to the altitude. My reaction was to do a painting of a skier with her hair on fire in "The Powder Room." Enjoy!!!

"Sunday Paper" was third overall in the MGAL star exhibition. Nice honor, and I'm challenged to keep it up.

The Memphis/Germantown Art League Star Artist Exhibition opened Monday at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre. There were 80 paintings submitted by the best artist members of the MGAL. I counted 32 paintings today in the show and 2 were mine. What an honor to achieve that. The paintings I got into the show were "Sunday Paper" and "Cancer Survivor." The show will hang through the month of January.

Remember having fried chicken after church on Sundays with lots of friends and family around? We would spend the remainder of the afternoon on the couch snoozing. There was always a front porch on the house and a dog waiting by the door for scraps from dinner. A big black dog with a long red tongue and eyes that said "I haven't eaten in years." There was only room on that porch for one dog.
This painting is, "One Dog Porch."
I hope you like it.

during the month of December, I did this painting infront of the congregation at Sycamore View. Each week, I addid a little color. First the yellow, then blue, and finally red. Each week I increased the definition of the facial image that you see in the first picture. I hope you can make out the lips, nose and maybe a little hint of eyes.
The last sunday of the year, Kip spoke about seeing Jesus in the world. While he spoke, I painted. This time I used soft charcoal and black acrylic paint. Kip then made the point that we don't see Jesus because we are using references that we are comfortable with. We can see Jesus when we get outside our comfort zones, and we may even realize that the world is up-side-down. This way of looking at the world challenges our faith and our sense of obedience to God's will and His way.
As Kip went on about experencing God in this up-side-down world, I turned the canvass completely around...up-side-down and revealed the painting that I had done up-side-down. You see it here right-side-up.



Gabby Ezell is standing beside the face of Jesus to give it scale.
I hope you enjoyed the experience.

Here is this year's Christmas card. It was inspired by photos of our friend Gene Weaver. Tammie thinks Gene is secretly santa.

We love the Bison. Harding University's mascot and noble creature of the American high planes. These animals are beautiful. I am considering publishing prints of this painting. Let me know if you are interested.

Curt and Nedra Sparks are moving to Overland Park, Kansas. They are paying attention to the voice of the Lord just as we would expect them to, and just as they teach all others who will listen. To know them is to love them and to love the Lord. They have endeared themselves and their children Jared and Sarah to everyone in Memphis who has had the pleasure of knowing them...we will miss them.
This painting will be presented to them at a reception in their honor at Sycamore View church on Sunday, December 17.

This Thanksgiving was ushered in with the news that a dear friend, Debbie Moltz, had finally won her final victory over melanoma by going home to her heavenly Father. I can't even begin to list the things we will remember about Debbie. I do know how she exemplified the servant heart even when melanoma was claiming her life. My reaction was to paint this picture of Debbie expressing love and hope to one of her children during their wedding. We will miss her.

Today, I received notification that I received the Watercolor/Mixed Media Award in the West Arkansas Regional Art Exhibition. That was a real honor, and the check didn't hurt either. It was given for "Bring It Home" one of my horse and rider series paintings. It was also in the Tennessee Watercolor Society Exhibition this past spring. You can scroll down to see it and others in the series. Have Fun.

I finally took time for a painting today. The past week has been very busy for me putting together my cases for the American Board of Implantology/Implant Dentistry-DIPLOMAT. This painting comes as a needed change of routine.

James and Andrea Wood came our way a few years ago. The were married in Oregon, went south to California to visit relatives and turned left. They didn't stop until they arrived at our house. They stayed here until James got started at Harding Grad, and Andrea could find work. We are glad to have them as friends and surrogate chldren. James has interned with Curt Sparks, pulpit minister at Sycamore View, this past year, and we enjoy the messages he brings from God's word. They both have beautiful singing voices and are core members of our praise team too. James and Andrea are answering God's call to plant churches in the North West. Keep them in your prayers.

Noah caught this 22"rainbow just before we decided to "call it a day." That's good enough reason to stay long enough to catch "just one more." It was a perfect day!

My Sister, Cathy, and her 7 year old son, Noah, went fishing with me today. We flew the lance to Mountain Home, AR and went to the Norfork River there. Noah must be a natural flyfisherman because he caught at least 10 very fat trout. Cathy caught a brown trout that was at least 6# but she released it before we could photograph it. Noah said flyfisning was more funner than catfishing where you have to wait and wait. He also had fun learning to skip rocks.

Yesterday, 10/11/06, I recieved notice from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Art Exhibition that "Bring it Home" and "Dynamite" have been accepted into the exhibition in November. There were 330 paintings submitted and 97 accepted works and they included 2 of mine. What an honor! You can see both paintings by scrolling down to an earlier post.

Al has been a good friend for many years. He is a decorated WW2 veteran among many other accomplishments in his life. Al loves his family, and he loves to worship God through song. A group met in the home of his hospice care Thursday and sang with him and his family for a couple of hours. It was a wonderful experience! (The chocolate chip cookies were not bad either). Al has requested that he have no more dialysis treatments. He is getting week as his body becomes toxic, and we don't expect him to live many more days. His family requests our prayers.

I thought I was done with the western paintings, then I got this image in my mind of the round up and the dust flying and that special poney that always got away. But not this time...you know which one it is...so "Round-em up."

Joe and I flew the Lance to Mountain Home, AR today to fish on the White River. It was all his idea, and I was really glad to play hookey from going to Tammie's cousin's wedding. Joe was really proud of this 14" rainbow, although the smug look on his face says it was "nothing."

The only photo I took today was of this fat 16" Brown trout taken on a #18 zebra midge. That fly accounted for over 50 such fish today on the White River. Fun!!

Here is Wil Skelton with his first rainbow trout. He caught the lively 12"er on a #10 olive wooleybuger at Roundhousle shoal on the White River this Summer. It was his first fish on a fly and fly rod, and I was glad to help make that happen.

Laura and John wanted something personal for their wedding invitation. They sent me a photo of a tree on the Miami University of Ohio campus where they found a connection. This little painting came to mind and it is of "Our Favorite Place."

I really like this painting of a little orphan girl by sunflowers. She is a blend of many images of children.

"Playful Wisdom" was done after Natalie came into the office wearing that wide brim red straw hat. I especially liked the specks of light that danced down her cheek and nose. She wanted so to laugh and smile as I photographed her, but it was the moment she paused that gave me the greatest insight into her spirit. The spirit of wisdom, of quiet, of watching her children, younger people, knowing all the time what they face, and giving them all of her heart, and all of her strength as a woman. She is playful and she is wisely watching, filled with the deep joy only years can bring.

This painting has been one of 58 paintings accepted into the Mississippi Grand National Watercolor Exhibition. There were 225 paintings submitted for this show at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson. That is truly an honor. It will hang there from October 7, 2006 through January 7, 2007.

Madison White loves to run, play soft ball, sing, ride 4 wheelers, and she loves to pray. Her mother, Tammy, nurtures all of these activities as a single parent. Tammy has worked for me as a dental hygienist for many years, and I hope we have many more together....she is wonderful!

Laura loves her grey cat.

"Katrina" was painted in the fall of 2005 following the flury of hurricanes that left the Gulf Coast devistated and so many people devoid of hope. The light is reflecting from within the cup of cool water someone has given her to quinch her thirst and ease her suffering heart, and most of all give her hope. Most interestingly the painting is of a little girl who is helpless against the elements and the system. If God wanted to He could wipe out all tears, all pain, and all suffering. If He so chose to it would make Him the great Geanie; not the Almighty God. God uses us as His instruments of hope to offer the suffering a cup of cool water.

"Bubbleline" is an expression of the surface bubbles beneath which hungry trout eagerly await their next meal. Place your fly elegantly in this foam with a perfect drift and your next sensation will be a tug on the end of that delicate tippett. Pull too quickly or to hard and the trout will be gone, with the fly. Let the rod do the work; it's finesse that wins this game. Bubbleline.

Rainbow trout are among the most beautiful creatures on earth! The soft North Arkansas morning light especially illuminates the vibrant colors of the rainbow and releases the luminosity of the reflective stream surface and bottom. To truly enjoy these fish one must treasure them enough to let them go once caught. "NO MAN IS A FOOL TO GIVE UP WHAT HE CANNOT KEEP TO GAIN WHAT HE CAN NOT LOOSE."

Jim Lipscomb is a fishing guide friend of mine from Pocahontis, Arkansas. He owns Two Rivers Fly shop in Norfork, Arkansas. I was visiting with Jim last year, and we fished a couple of days together. He told me he was getting married soon to the woman of is dreams. Turns out that Rick Gillespie and I were having dinner at Gastons' Restaurant a couple of months earlier with our wives, Leslie and Tammie, and our waitress was the lady of whom Jim was speaking. I already knew that she had been a high school art teacher, and we spoke of our common interests in visual expression.
I remembered Jim's big white beard (Tammie says he looks like a beautiful SANTA), and the dim light from the lamp by his fly vise. Jim can tie flies in his sleep, and he can FISH. I sent a copy of this painting as a card congratulating Jim on his wedding...his new bride intercepted the card and never showed it to him. She tried to secretly negotiate for the original, so on a trip to fish the Norfork river last fall, I gave the painting to Jim. He was totaly surprised and awed with gratitude. You can see it where It is hanging in his fly shop at the confluence of the White and Norfork rivers.

Emily is the daughter of Jeff and Keiko Ervin. Emily is gifted vocally as well as artistically. She is a senior at Harding Academy where she studies art under Stacy Smith. Emily has already won several awards for her paintings. Here she is singing her heart out at the Sycamore View talent show benefitting "Hope Works."

Bruce and Kerrie Klemm adopted Elisa 5 years ago in Abeline, Texas. Elisa's mother elected to give her up for adoption, and Elisa was the Klemm's answer to fervent prayer. When Elisa was 4 she began feeling ill, and the doctors diagnosed her with Lukemia. The news was devistating for Bruce and Kerrie, but they took Elisa to St. Jude. Elisa has been treated, and is recovering now. She lost her full head of "BIG" hair. She tires easily, but she is a great trooper through it all. We continue to pray for her full recovery.

These are the Swims children. Their father, Todd asked me to do a painting of them earlier this year.

SanGimagiano Sunflowers
One of my favorite days of my life was spent with Tammie and Laura at SanGimagiano. It's a neat Tuscan hill town near Florence, Italy. This painting is the only one I have done on Fredrix watercolor canvass. I do not like the way it takes paint.